My Web Video Story (Video Coming Soon...)

The first video I ever created (that wasn’t just an iPhone captured moment to keep in my archives) was of a business in my community, Amber’s Dance Studio LLC. Full disclosure, I did it for a class assignment. The guidelines were vague – creative a video of something interesting. There were specific elements I had to include, like matched action, a combination of photos of video, and several minutes of interview content. As far as the topic went though, it was wide open. I was stumped.

To brainstorm, I thought about things I’m passionate about. I’ve always found that big projects or papers go a lot smoother if I know the topic I’m covering and have interest in it. Otherwise, I get bored and my work suffers because of that. I explored my go to – the arts. That’s where I came across the idea for Amber’s Dance Studio. I’m not a dancer and I know nothing about it. But I love it. I reached out and she responded immediately. I chose to film her and her teenage ballet class.

The thing I’ve learned about making creative web videos is to choose a topic that fascinates you. I laid on the floor. I stood on my tiptoes. I used the mirrors to film within. I explored every possible angle I could. For a video to be unique and interesting, this had to be done. For the interview audio to overlap the video, I asked questions that matched what I had filmed. I wanted her voice to flow well with what usable footage I knew I had. So, that’s the creative process.

When shooting footage, you can’t just copy what you’ve seen. If you try to shoot video in the same way you’ve seen others do it, it won’t work. Why? Because it’s a different situation. Each shoot must be unique to what it’s shooting. The needs and angles are different every time. Not everything works. Try again. Take as much footage as possible, even if you think you have enough. You never know what new shoot you might capture that’s better. Also, this might be a given, but take multiple clips. Don’t just run the camera the entire time and move it around. That makes editing impossible.

On that note, the final step to making a web video is to edit. To me, this is both the most and least enjoyable part. It’s frustrating, to say the least. The editing process involves clipping the shoots, organizing the photos and video in the order needed, and adding the sound to match the organization. Depending on the complexity of the video (how many sound clips there are and how much footage needs to be adapted), this step can either be a simple finisher or the longest step of the entire video-making process. This a struggle for me because I’m a perfectionist, but also an armature. So, I wanted my video to be perfect but didn’t have the skills and experience to make it reality. On the other hand, this step is also enjoyable for me because it’s when I finally see everything come together and can turn all the pieces into a larger video that I imagined from the start.

Now, I’m working on a web video on the topic that social media is a positive communication outlet. In a society where social media is often portrayed as negative or even dangerous, I want to focus on the positives. To add to the creativity factor, I knew I had to find a variety of stories and sources to tell stories. I want the video to be personal, relatable, and even moving. I asked around, and much to my surprise, I found a group of people that all had their own reasons for why social media has helped them communicate and build necessary relationships. These individuals add to the creativity factor as they’re all willing to speak their message in their own words. The interviews will add value to my video, and music and formatting will continue to speak to the creativity of it.

In shooting this video, I need my sources to be comfortable with me. They’re going to be speaking to a camera, so it’s important that I let them know it’s a safe space and that it’s okay, and even encouraged, to not be perfect. Since I’ll be showing people up-close in this video, it’s important that I have proper lighting and focus in these shots.

So, I have my idea. I know my creative factor. I’ve begun shooting. Now, to edit. I’ve got an idea for my final product, but I’m interest to see where my editing will lead me. Once finished, I’m excited to use this web video as an opportunity to spread some light on why social media really is beneficial and important to communicators, relationships, and more.

You’ll understand when you watch it.